Fall prevention week 2009

Each year, the third week of September (September 21-25, 2009) has been designated as Fall Prevention week. Across the country, communities reach out in order to increase awareness of falls as well as inform residents about the things they can do to reduce the risk of an accidental fall. It's no surprise, and evidence-based support indicates, that following a consistent exercise routine is the number one way to reduce the risk of losing your balance.
Year-round, the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence in Fullerton, CA is dedicated to increasing public awareness of physical falls and Dr. Debra Rose's FallProof balance and mobility program has been recognized as one of the top seven in the nation for reducing the risk of falls among community-dwelling older adults. Having recently attained FallProof instructor certification, I am proudly introducing the multisensory training concepts in the Sacramento region.
So for Fall Prevention week, 2009, I conducted the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale (FAB) to assess participant's fall risk. With the permission of their accommodating instructor, I tested the senior fitness class members at both the Belle Cooledge and South Natomas community centers. These ladies did amazing and the practice was superb for me. I had the chance to educate on the individual level and the response was FAB-ulous!
I also tested several ladies at the West Sacramento senior center. This is a group of individuals who would clearly benefit from the multisensory training. I am excited about the possibility of teaching a Take 5 to Exercise fall risk reduction class there and introducing some of the FallProof balance and mobility concepts.
Finally, I had the opportunity to implement the short-form version of the FAB with several participants at the Fall Prevention outreach in Grass Valley. This annual event is sponsored by the Falls Prevention Coalition of Nevada county. The seniors whom I tested were extremely interested in the feedback I was able to provide from the 4-item test results. It was wonderful to be able to apply the skills I have been studying and to be so well received by the people for whom it was intended: older adults still living independently in the community who may (or may not) think they are at risk of falling.
The service providers in Grass Valley were more than interested in what I was doing. I had the privilege of talking with a wonderful physical therapist about vestibular impairments, especially BPPV. Do you know that the next lady I tested showed the exact signs and symptoms we had just discussed? One senior fitness trainer even asked how she could get information on the program.
The FAB is one component of the FallProof program. In fact, it's just the beginning. FallProof is top of the line, the most up-to-date balance training available. Old programs pale in comparison. I am so glad that I invested my time and energy into gaining that certification.
Learning, implementing and re-learning everyday!
The Fall Prevention lady.

Cancer survivors need to Take 5 to Exercise!

I drove to the upscale San Francisco Bay Club to attend a workshop for Certified Personal Fitness trainers who work with cancer patients and survivors. Because current treatment options expose body tissues to genetic alterations both during and after treatment, ACSM Cancer Exercise Specialists suggest that patients follow a professionally designed exercise program:

• immediately upon diagnosis
• during treatment
• consistently afterward.
  

Hosted by IMPACT director, Jane Clark and colleagues Regan Federic and Betty Smoot, these exercise science professionals demonstrated the increased need for flexibility and balance programs for those who undergo chemotherapy.

Mobility is the primary goal during treatment but maintaining range of motion and reducing disability become issues of concern afterward. So does balance.

"Chemo-brain" is a common side effect of chemotherapy as is vestibular dysfunction. A fuzzy brain and inner ear sensory problems plus weakening of your muscles puts a person at a marked increased risk of a fall.

A person needs to have a systematic approach to remaining balanced in order to remain safe throughout treatment. Recognizing these special needs becomes a compassion issue. Some people have it, some people don't. I do.

As a woman, breast cancer is always a concern.

As a health educator, I want to encourage preventative cancer screening to the maximum level.

As a fitness consultant, I strive to educate about and demonstrate effective movement patterns.

These SF Bay area health and fitness professionals recognize the need for consistent activity to prevent disability associated with cancer treatment options. I recognize the need for consistent movement to prevent the disability associated with growing older. Either way, it's up to you to do it! It's your choice! But let me help you:

Take 5 to Exercise every day. Get yours and start with your own personal trainer today.

The Balance Enhancement Specialist

Regulating fall prevention exercise classes....

As a certified personal fitness trainer who works with clients of all ages and of all physical abilities, I am frustrated by the lack of a governing body that oversees the fundamentals of practicing "certified" trainers. The reason I am so perturbed by this is what I have observed while watching trainers in the gym and in group settings.

I do not claim to know it all and to have all the right answers. Quite the contrary, I am a person who is forever seeking more wisdom, more knowledge, and more insight into the movement of the human body, especially corrective exercise techniques. I want to know how can I help a person the most? If I observe an inefficient movement pattern, I feel it is my obligation as a certified health and fitness professional to be able to prepare an effective program that will help that person move easier, with less pain.

There is no governing body that checks up on “certified” trainers and how they practice. The result is thousands of bad experiences, unnecessary injuries, and wasted efforts. The older I get, the more I value my time and my effort. I consider the older adults who I strive to help and if they have one bad experience, they might give up on the message: it’s never too late to benefit from consistent activity; consistent activity done correctly.

In my seated exercise routines, I constantly cue the viewer how to breathe correctly, what muscle to concentrate on during each movement and mostly, to stop if the movement hurts.

In the meantime, please be careful. I hope one day there is a regulating body that implements ‘surprise visits’ to senior fitness classes everywhere. Each instructor should be “graded” on principles, techniques and overall safety. I am deeply disturbed that unqualified instructors are not only causing injury but also negatively influencing people’s attitudes about exercise.